10 Tips for Buying a Vacuum Cleaner

10 Tips for Buying a Vacuum Cleaner

This is not a "What is the best vacuum cleaner to buy" article
but you will find some tips on purchasing a vacuum cleaner that
will save you some grief and money.

1. Match the vacuum to the job

Carpet: Only an upright vacuum will do. Look for a machine
with multiple height positions, wide wheels, reasonably light and
a long power cord. Remember that lighter does not mean better.

Bare Floor: A Canister type vacuum is recommended but an
upright with attachments will do. Uprights are awkward and may
scuff the surface of your floor.

Upholstery: A hand vacuum with a revolving brush is the
preferred choice. However some upright cleaning systems come
packaged with an air-driven upholstery tool with a revolving
brush.

Utility: Any inexpensive name-brand shop vacuum will work
here. Just make sure the bags and filters are readily available.

2. Power Ratings: Fact or Fiction

Walk through a store's vacuum cleaner display and you'll soon
see each one proudly displaying its power ratings. They typically
show one or more ratings such as Watts or Amps.

Watts and Amps are a measure of power consumption; how much
electricity the appliance will use. Wattage and amperage only
give you part of the picture.

Imagine buying a water pump: You may be concerned with the
power consumption but will probably be more concerned with the
volume of water it moves, Gallons Per Minute (GPM).

A vacuum cleaner is essentially an "air pump" and the rating
you should be concerned with is the volume of air moved per
minute which is rated in CFM or Cubic Feet of air per Minute.

An upright vacuum with a rating of approximately 100 CFM or
greater is required if you want to remove the denser abrasive
sand from your carpet. Most household brands are grouped around
40 CFM with a small inch and a quarter fill tube and for obvious
reasons do not like to display their CFM rating. The brand we
like moves roughly 120 CFM, almost 3 times the average with a
price tag less than one sixth of the high-end name brand
household machines. (email us at whichvacbrandwelike@a1vacandsew.com
if you want to find out which brand we like)

Cannister and upholstery vacuum cleaners will not move nearly
as much air as the better uprights will. Cannister vacs are
limited because the hose restricts the amount of air that can be
moved and should not be used for carpet. CFM is still important
in a cannister or hand vac but not as critical as it is in an
upright vacuum cleaner.

3. Serviceability

Make sure bags, belts, filters and parts will be readily
available for your machine.

It is not uncommon to see chain stores quit selling supplies
for appliances they no longer stock, and with models changing
yearly this can be a serious inconvenience.

4. Maintainability

Look for a cleaning system that is easy to maintain. Some models
require a technician to do an otherwise simple belt change.

Avoid vacuum cleaners that draw debris through small hoses,
orifices or sharp bends. Objects are prone to lodge in these
areas restricting air flow. Many times this will require
disassembly of the machine and in many cases will cause your
motor to overheat.

5. Cost of Ownership

Always buy quality; the investment will pay you back with a lower
cost per year. A good quality vacuum will extend the life of your
carpeting and maintain a fluffier more vibrant appearance.

Avoid the cheap machines if possible because they do not clean
very well, are predisposed to failure and parts are not readily
available.

Some models use extraordinarily high priced filters and bags.
Look for a system that uses inexpensive and readily available
supplies.

6. HEPA Filtration and Performance

Filtration is good so more filtration must be better, right?
Wrong!

Too much filtration reduces the air-flow of your vacuum
cleaner. If the wind doesn't blow, the dust will not fly.

Find a vacuum cleaner that allows you to purchase optional
"Premium" high filtration paper bags. You will never have to
worry about your expensive HEPA filters plugging up. When you
toss the bag, you start fresh and maintain a good air-flow.

If allergies or dust control are not an issue, you may look
into the bagless models but most of these have expensive filters
that need to be replaced.

7. Bagless or Bust

Bagless vacuum cleaners leak lots of dust so avoid them if
anyone has allergy related problems. If health issues are not a
concern bagless vacuums can provice some extra convenience and
cost savings.

Most bagless vacuum cleaners have expensive filters that need
to be replaced periodically. On many models if these filters are
not changed regularly you may damage the motor.

Bagless vacuums usually have a higher initial cost so it may
take a while to realize any cost savings.

8. Warranty

Like anything else you purchase, look for a machine that offers a
parts and labor warranty for more than one year. Our personal
pick is the blue line Sanitaire "System_Pro"
upright series which offer a five year factory parts and labor
warranty at no extra cost.

Many brands offer an extended warranty for an additional
charge but avoid these machines. If the manufacturer is confident
about their product they will include the warranty with the
original purchase price.

9. Mass Market Hype

Almost every household has at least one vacuum cleaner and the
mass market is taking advantage of this. You can expect the
lifespan of the typical chain store vacuum cleaner to be around 2
years or less.

The majority of these machines are underpowered, unable to
remove embedded dirt and have a short life span. Forgetting the
replacement cost every 2 years, consider the damage that embedded
dirt will do to your carpeting. Sand is abrasive (think
sandpaper) and will cut the fibers of your carpet leaving wear
patterns in the high traffic areas of your home. If you do not
remove the sand from your carpeting, you will lose approximately
one half of the life of your carpet.

Purchasing a cheap chain store vacuum cleaner may be an
expensive mistake, especially if you are a home owner.

10. The Swiss Army Knife – Add-ons You Need (or don't)

You have seen all of the cool gadgets that are added to some
vacuum cleaners. Everything from shampooers and paint sprayers to
turbo driven upholstery brushes and self-propelled power drive
units are available depending on manufacturer and model.

The truth is that most people never or rarely use most of the
optional accessories. Do you picture yourself painting a fence
with a vacuum cleaner?

Now, there are some very useful add-on tools available for
purchase separately at modest prices. We recommend buying a basic
good quality vacuum and then purchasing tools separately that fit
very specific jobs such as a

ceiling fan brush,

vertical mini-blind brush,

air powered turbo driven upholstery brush, etc.

Summary

When shopping for a vacuum cleaner, match the tool to the job.
Buy the best quality you can afford because it will give the
greatest return on your investment and have a direct impact on
the appearance and life of your carpeting. Look for a decent
warranty and make sure that support and supplies will be
available in the future.

Happy Vacuuming!

Randy has over 30 years of experience in vacuum equipment
sales and service.

Randy can be found at
A-1 Vacuum and Sewing Center | Your source for household and
commercial vacuum cleaners